Fumigating apparatus



June 9,- 1931. K. A. KILBouRNE 1,809,279

' FUMIGATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MENA/@7HA-K/oa/e/ve IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented .lune 9, `1931 UNiTeD STATES KENNETH A. KILBOURN, F AZUSA,QALIFORNI, ASSIGNOR '10 OWL FUmG-ATING CORPORATION, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FUMIGATILING .APPARATUS Application ledOctober, 1924i. Serial No. 741,517.

This invention relates to fumigation, more particularly to fumigation ofenclosed, evacuated or partially evacuated spaces.

often infest them by placing the articles in' a closed space which isthen evacuated to a high degree in order to remove the air from theinterstices of the article and thus to allow more ready penetrationthereof by the fumi-4 gant. According to a method used heretofore,liquid hydrocyanic acid was heated to vaporize the same,and the gas wasintroduced into 'the space to be umigated. lmmediately thereafter airwas introduced so that the resulting pressure tended to quickly force amixture of hydrocyanic acid gas and air into the article to befumigated. rlhis procedure gave satisfactory results as far as theumigation of the article was concerned but the apparatus necessary toaccomplish the fumigation was cumbersome in that it required a steamboiler or other heating device to vaporize the fumigant and the llamefor heating involved an element of danger because the hydrocyanic acidgas produced is highly inflammable.

My invention is intended to obviate these disadvantages, it being amongthe objects thereof to devise an apparatus for vacuum fumigation whichshall be simpleand inexpensive in construction, and easy to operate.

lt is a further object of my invention to provide an apparatus whichshall be capable of gasifying a liquid fumigant without any heatingmeans. ln practicing my invention l provide a structure including anozzle having therein a needle Valve through which liquid fumigant isadapted to pass. The chamber which surrounds the needle valve is placedin communication with the evacuated space to be fumigated and air andatomized fumigant are drawn into the said space and into the articles tobe fumigated. The

liquid hydrocyanic acid ordinarily used for th1s purpose contains about4% water and,

passing through the nozzle, becomes atomized and vaporized, abstractingso much heat from -its surroundings that at least part of the waterfreezes and obstructs the nozzle preventing the How of the liquidfumigant To obviate this' l provide one or more air ports in the wallsof the chamber surrounding the needle valve, the said ports being solocated that air is caused to liow over the needle valve to the nozzlethereof and then into the space to be umigated. As a result, thesensible heat of the incoming air prevents, to a considerable extent,the lowering ont the temperature of the needle valve to a pointfavorable to the freezing of water thereon, and the air also takes upthe liquid fumigant and carries'it away from the nozzle so that in the-vaporization thereof the cooling effect produced is distributed over .alarge area. This eHectually prevents freezing and obstruction of theneedle valve.

ln the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in whichlike reference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my new fumigating apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical, cross-sectional view along the lineIll--lll of Fig. 2.

The apparatus includes an atomizing chamber or casing 1 of cylindricalform, the end 2 of which carries a nipple 3, having a gate valve 4,adapted to be manipulated by the operating handle 5. A nipple 7 connectsthe valve 4 with the chamber 6 to be fumigated. The opposite end 8 ofchamber 1 is closed by a calibrated plate or dial 9, which is threadedinto the same at point 10,

and is secured in place by af' set screw 1l.4

The pointer 12 is adapted to be operated by knob 13, which is secured tothe stem 'la of a needle 'valve 15, within the chamber 1.

There is further provided a plurality of openings or air ports 16 insuch position that in operation air is drawn in through the.

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A graduated glass ineasuiing cylinder 22, protected by a nietal jacket23, having an opening therein to allow inspection of the cylinder, issecured in communication with the upper opening of three-way valve 18 bya nut 24. At the upper end of the measuring cylinder 22 is a similar nut25 which holds a connecting portion 26 for a pipe 27, communicating withthe vapor space 28 of a tank 29, adapted to liold the liquid fumigant. Apipe 3() from the side of valve 18 communicates with tank 29 below theliquid level.

The needle valve or automizing device 15 includes a casing, the rear end31 of which is threaded to receive tlie stem 14 of the needle valve inthreaded adjustable relation. The forward end 32 thereof is tapered,terminating in a small opening-or nozzle 33 into which the needle 34,which is secured to stem 14, is adapted to extend. In the upper portionof the casing is a threaded opening 35, in which is secured a tube 36,the upper end 37 of which is expanded and threaded. Said portion extendsthrough an opening 38 in chamber l and is secured to the threaded lowerend 39 of valve 18, which is welded at point 40 to the chamber 1 inorder to maintain the proper relative positions of the parts.

A plate 41 is welded oi brazed at 42 to nipple. 3 and has an opening 43in the central portion thereof, cooperating with the tapered end 32 ofthe needle vvalve casiiig. The opening 43 may be adjusted to suit thedesired conditions by threading Vnipple 3 in one or the other direction..i

The operation of the device `is as follows:

The articles to be umigated are placed in fumigating chamber 6, and thechamber is evacuated. The handle 19 of three-way valve 18 is placed inthe upper position, thereby causing liquid fumigant to flow from tank 29through pipe 30 and into the measuring cylinder 22 until the properamount is contained therein, after which the handle 19 is placed inposition 2O to cut olf a further flow of fumigant. Handle 19 is thenmoved to liquid fumigant to flow from measuring cylinder 22, throughvalve 18, into the casing of needle valve 15. Gate valve 4 isthenopened, producing a suction upon the fumigant by reason of the vacuum inchamber 6, causing the fumigant mixed with air, to flow into the saidchamber. After the entire dose has been so delivered, valve 4 is closedand handle 19 placed in position 20, when the apparatus is again readyfor further operation.

The relative amounts of air and liquid fumigant may be varied either bythe adjust ment of the opening of the nozzle 33 by means of knob 13, thesize of the opening being determined by the movement of poinposition 21,allowing the measured ter 12 over the dial 9 or the position ofthe plate41 may be adjusted to increase or decrease the amount of air whichpasses through opening 43.

Although-ll have described my invention, setting forth a specificembodiment thereof, l.v ain not limited to the details of constructionherein set forth. For instance, I may replace the measuring cylinder 22with a different device for measuring the desired amount of fumigant. Orinstead of the vent connection 27 from the top of the measuring cylinderto the fumigant tank 2.9 l may simply allow the cylinder to vent intothe air or to the outside by suitable piping connections. The shape andrelative sizes of the various parts may be varied at will withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What l claim is:

1. A fumigating apparatus comprising a measuring cylinder for volatileliquid fumigant carrying some water, a nozzle for receiving tliefumigant from the cylinder, a needle valve in the nozzle, a chambersurrounding the nozzle, air ports in the chamber, a fumigating chamberto be evacuated connected with the chamber surrounding the nozzle,whereby when the fumigating chamber is evacuated, an inflow of air isinduced through the ports and around the nozzle, and fumigant throughthe nozzle, the air being s'uliicient to volatilize the fumigant andprevent freezing of the water carried thereby on the needle valve and inthe nozzle due to volatilization.

2. A fumigating apparatus comprising .a measuring cylinder for volatileliquid fumigant carryin some Water, a nozzle for receiving the umigantfrom the cylinder, a needle valve in the nozzle, a chamber surroundingthe nozzle, air ports in the chamber, a fumigating chamber to beevacuated connected with the chamber surrounding the nozzle, wherebywhen the fumigating chamber is evacuated an inflow of air is inducedthrough the ports and around the nozzle, and fumigant through thenozzle, the air being sufficient to volatilize the fumigant and preventfreezing of the water carried thereby on the needle valve and in Vthenoz zle due to volatilization, means for ad]ust ing the relation of theneedle valve and nozzle, and means for adjusting the amount of airflowing around the nozzle.

3. A f'umigating apparatus comprising a supply tank for volatile liquidfumigant carrying some water, a measuringcylinder connected to saidsupply tank, a nozzle or receiving the fumigant from the cylinder, aneedle valve in the nozzle, a three way valve in the` connection betweenthe supply tank and the measuring cylinder and the measuring cylinderand the nozzle, for permitting a flow of liquid fumigant from the supplytank to the cylinder in one position and from the cylinder to the nozzlein another position, a chamber surrounding the nozzle, air ports in thechamber, a fumigating chamber to the chamber *surrounding the nozzle,and a valve in said connection.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed vmy name thiseighteenth day of September, 1924.

KENNETH A. KILBOURNE.

be evacuated connected to

